He smiled and spoke as carelessly as he could, “I like you, will you go out with me?”
The surrounding classmates were all giggling in a low voice. Some were even swaying with laughter while covering each other’s mouths.
But Duan Zhi couldn’t hear the noise around him.
He held the lighter in the palm of his hand. It was scalding and the flame pulsed restlessly, as if it was going to burn through his palm.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
“Boring,” Ji Shuyan’s voice was still calm, not fluctuating at all, “Are you guys playing some kind of game?”
Duan Zhi closed his eyes, “As expected of Uncle Ji, you truly are intelligent, you guessed it in just a second.”
He didn’t even leave room for fantasy. That’s right, Cupid wouldn’t show him any kindness today.
He simply admitted, “Yes, I lost and had to call you to confess. I’m sorry, Uncle Ji. I’ll invite you to dinner next time to apologize.”
“It’s not a big deal, but don’t make such jokes with adults.” Ji Shuyan wasn’t angry either. It’s normal for young people to play games when they gather. He didn’t do it any less when he was in college. So, he made an atypical joke, “You will be beaten.”
Duan Zhi also laughed, and said slowly, “Understood. But I still dare to next time.”
Ji Shuyan sneered, “Little brat.”
He looked down at the pale green cocktail in the tall glass. He should have hung up the phone here, but Zheng Wenbin and Wei Jingming were having a passionate conversation next to him. He was a bit bored drinking alone; hence he asked a rare question, “Where are you guys playing, is it also a bar?”
Duan Zhi looked down at the name of the store, “No, I’m on Liufang Street, at Chuqing Izakaya.”
Ji Shuyan was a little surprised, wasn’t it right next door to him?
But he didn’t tell Duan Zhi, lest Duan Zhi feel uncomfortable.
“Okay then, you guys pay attention to safety. Go back early and don’t make trouble again.”
There was a beep from the phone and it showed that the call was hung up.
The people around who had been holding their breath for a long time relaxed all at once and started talking in a hurry.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Gejc Itl, ktb vlv sbe mjii? Lbk mbwf sbe kfgf mjiilcu tlw ecmif?”
“Lf rbecvfv rb mbiv. Ktf gfpfmalbc kjr jirb mbiv, yea atf nblmf ofia delaf tjcvrbwf.”
Gejc Itl rwlifv jcv abbx j rlq bo atf yffg, yea vlvc’a jcrkfg.
Lf vlvc’a kjca ab rtjgf jcsatlcu jybea Al Vtesjc klat batfgr.
Duan Zhi put the beer glass back on the table.
The beer slid down his throat into his stomach. He couldn’t taste the flavour of wheat, instead it was a bit bitter.
The first confession in his life was a failure.
He was obviously rejected. His heart was sour and astringent but there was still a trace of honey-like sweetness.
Because just now on the phone, Ji Shuyan was very gentle.
In the bar, Ji Shuyan put down his phone and continued chatting with Zheng Wenbin and the others.
He didn’t put much thought into the phone call just now.
But the words of his colleagues from this afternoon, saying that he was suitable for finding a young, lively and outgoing girlfriend, suddenly flashed through his mind.
Thinking about it carefully, apart from the gender, Duan Zhi was quite in line with the requirements.
He smiled, but felt that this idea was inexplicable, and therefore quickly put it behind him.
He heard Zheng Wenbin talking with Wei Jingming about when they went rock climbing together last month, and making an appointment for the next time, and couldn’t help but show a smile that is not quite a smile.
He felt a rare urge to be mischievous, and asked Zheng Wenbin with a surprised face, “How come I didn’t know that you like rock climbing? Didn’t you say that you hate sports?”
Zheng Wenbin: “…”
Zheng Wenbin stared at him indistinctly. The words you talk too much were written all over his face.
Ji Shuyan raised his eyebrows with a smug face.
How could Wei Jingming not understand what Ji Shuyan meant? He chuckled, but didn’t point it out, and looked at Zheng Wenbin with a smile on his face.
The two looked at each other, Zheng Wenbin’s face was slightly red.
The bar was loud and lively. The resident singer on the stage was roaring unintelligible lyrics at the top of his lungs. These two people were clearly in such an environment but they were full of affection and innocence like high school students who had just fallen in love.
Ji Shuyan stirred his cocktail and sighed, Good, he was automatically filtered out again.
Why in the world did he come out today? What crime did he commit to bring this upon himself? This dog food made him not want to talk.
The three of them stayed at the bar until almost nine o’clock. Then, Zheng Wenbin and Wei Jingming decided to change places, saying that they were going to a concert.
Ji Shuyan was replying to his colleagues in the hospital. Just now, the hospital had some temporary matters that needed his help.
He looked up at Zheng Wenbin and Wei Jingming, but he couldn’t understand. Which bar owner throws away his store to accompany his guests to a concert?
Zheng Wenbin asked him if he was going to join them.
Ji Shuyan shook his head. A self-conscious person would not be a light bulb. He smiled and pointed to his mobile phone, “I won’t go. I still have something to discuss with my colleagues. After the chat, I will find a substitute driver to go back.”
Zheng Wenbin was a little hesitant, it was fine if Ji Shuyan didn’t want to go, but Ji Shuyan had been drinking which made him a bit worried.
“Will you be okay by yourself?” He asked, “Are you drunk, can you go back alone?”
Ji Shuyan was speechless, “No matter how bad my drinking capacity is, it’s not to this point. Besides, I’m just sitting at the bar. What could possibly happen? It’s not like I’m a fresh graduate.”
Zheng Wenbin thought so too. It would take twenty minutes at most. He took the car keys and told him, “Then you go back early and let me know when you get home.”
Ji Shuyan continued to send WeChat, and hummed perfunctorily, “Understood, you can go.”
In his heart, he felt that Zheng Wenbin was too cautious. He was a grown man and it was not the first time he had come to a bar, so what could go wrong.
But soon he was slapped in the face.
It turns out that high school and college students weren’t the only ones who were targeted in this world, there were adults over thirty too.
Ji Shuyan sat by the bar for a while, continuing his discussion with his colleague on WeChat. When the matter was almost explained, he took the car keys next to him and prepared to go home as originally planned.
But halfway through the lively dance floor in the bar, he suddenly felt a little dizzy. At first, he thought it was because he had been sitting for a long time without moving. But, the more he walked towards the door through the loud noise and smell of smoke, alcohol and perfumes mixed together, the more uncomfortable he felt. His hands and feet were soft, and his body was feverish.
By the time he got out of the bar and walked down the side street, he couldn’t even stand up anymore.
Ji Shuyan propped one hand on the wall, not understanding what was going on. His brain was swollen and ringing.
He knows how much he can drink. What he had was just a low-degree cocktail, far from the point where he would feel drunk. Moreover, he had already drunk more than half of the glass before Zheng Wenbin left just now. It made no sense that the remaining few sips were so powerful. He put the back of his hand against his face, as if he wanted to cool himself down a bit. His mind was chaotic, but he still had to force himself to calm down.
Over the years, he has watched many police movies and documentaries. He is also aware of possible accidents in bars, but he has always been careful, and the number of times he visits these places is not much. He never thought that he would also be tricked one day.
Ji Shuyan bit the tip of his tongue to keep himself awake. He pressed his pulse and counted his heartbeat.
This is Wei Jingming’s bar. So, it couldn’t have been the bartender. It could only be a customer with bad intentions.
The person who drugged him was most likely following behind. He could either go back to the bar immediately and ask for help, or speed up to the parking lot, lock himself in his car and then ask his friends for help and call the police.
He decisively chose the second one as he was closer to the parking lot.
He quickened his pace and stumbled towards the parking lot. Fortunately, his car was parked nearby. He rushed to the side of the car, opened the door, and locked himself in the car in just a few seconds.
With a snap, the car door locked, as if erecting a safe fortress.
Ji Shuyan spread out on the passenger seat, gasping for breath, experiencing the feeling of his life hanging by a thread for no reason.
He let out a rare curse in his heart. Lifting his head weakly, he looked out through the window.
Sure enough, he saw a young man in a floral shirt standing not far away, looking towards him with chagrin.
Ji Shuyan unbuttoned his shirt, and said silently with his mouth, “Get lost!”
Then he unlocked his phone tremblingly. His first reaction was to call Zheng Wenbin.
But when he saw Duan Zhi’s name on the recent calls list, he paused again.
Without much hesitation, he pressed the call button.
Zheng Wenbin didn’t know what he was doing at this time, Duan Zhi was the closest to him, in the izakaya next door, it was more useful to call Duan Zhi.
Oh my, oh my! (ó﹏ò｡) And I would feel very awkward being third wheel like our bubu D:
Thank You for the new chapter (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡
I’m just left wondering how his drink couldve been spiked without him noticing.
I think it would have been when he was concentrating on replying to his colleague on WeChat.
I see. Bad idea. Always gotta keep focus on your drink. Hes a doctor n shouldn’t have let himself get distracted like that. Tsk tsk.
He’s thought about him, it’s good sign
Thank you for your translation 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
The timing couldn’t get any better! Spiking drinks was a bad and cowardice thing to do but thanks to that guy, things will finally move for both of them uwu<3
Thanks 😊